The developing brain of a typical human fetus adds thousands of neurons per minute. During fetal development and at birth, neural cells link to specific neurological functions. It follows that a newborn infant's brain develops neuron-neurological function connections in light of post birth experiences.
In premature birth, the premature infant loses opportunities for safe neurological development in utero. This loss can be compounded by medical complications associated with premature birth, such as strokes or hemorrhages. Further, medical complications often are treated with painful procedures which correlate with impairment in neurological development. Each of these stresses can affect a premature infant's ability to suck, swallow, or breathe on their own. Such impairments can affect the development of intelligence and speech.
This problem affects several hundred thousand babies annually in the United States. Many of these babies suffer with a partially developed nervous system, respiratory system, and/or other anatomy. Fortunately, since the brain continues to develop throughout life, damaged neurological networks can be overcome by early detection and treatment. However, many of these neurological impairments and developmental disabilities are not discovered using available diagnostic tools. What are needed are new tools to identify problems earlier.